The Bhardwaj lake is a lesser known wonder on the outskirts of Delhi. Till recently, the lake wasn’t on most maps and it was one of those places which couldn’t be found except by those who already knew where it is.
In recent times, the lake and the area around it have become one of the favorite haunts of off-road cyclists and hikers.
Finding the lake
A few days ago, we decided to ride to the Bhardwaj lake. Armed with our GPS devices, we set out on our MTBs. We were quite sure of the way till the road head. Once we left the road at Kant enclave on the Surajkund road, we discovered why it was difficult to find the lake.
The gravel tracks kept going on and on and at several places the track would split up and head in different directions. Multiple times during the ride we ended up taking the wrong fork and reached a dead end. At one point we reached a village where people thought we were a little crazy. Seeing all our riding gear and paraphernalia, I don’t quite blame them.
The Asola forest
The entire Asola wildlife sanctuary is a Kikar forest. Kikar is a thorny bush with small leaves. Typically, they are between 2 and 14 feet tall with majority being in the 5 to 8 feet height range. Perfect for scratching arms, legs and face. These dried thorns on the path are a nightmare for cyclists who are unprepared. Thankfully, we had slime filled tyre tubes which saved us from numerous punctures.
Riding in Asola wildlife sanctuary
Even though the forest trail was filled with thorny branches and we kept going off track, the ride was spectacular. There are lots of turns, rocky bends, bumps and narrow tracks which are a mixture of sand, gravel, pebble and rock surfaces (with kikar branches in your face). Negotiating this track is a great way for a beginner to practice mountain biking. Intermediate and advance riders would enjoy all the twists, turns and challenges this track has to offer. There are a few uphill sections on the track, however, these are not steep and are fun to ride on.
What made our ride even more fun were the thousands of butterflies and birds which we saw during the ride. In addition, we saw rabbits and antelopes (blue bulls). We hear there are other animals in this forest too, but we didn’t chance upon any of them.
Bhardwaj and other lakes in the area
The Bhardwaj lake itself is quite beautiful and we hear it is quite deep too. You can take a swim in the lake and there are several perches where you can dive from. We didn’t try it, but by the looks of it, we will try it on the next ride.
We rode further and discovered another lake about 1.5Kms ahead of the Bhardwaj lake. There we met a few children, from the nearby village, who told us that there are 9 such lakes in the forest. We’re going to ride here again to discover the other lakes in the area.
Preparing for the ride
If you’re planning to ride here, do see the following google map which we made using our GPS. The ride in this map starts from the 2nd lake and ends at the Green park metro station in South Delhi.
Ride essentials
- Slime filled tyre tubes (or some other puncture protection mechanism)
- Spare tube + puncture repair kit
- Plenty of drinking water as you won’t find any water sources during the ride
- First aid kit. We had several scratches and cuts thanks to the Kikar bushes. We had two falls leading to minor cuts and bruises. A first aid kit will be extremely helpful
- Some snacks/ dry fruits for energy
- A bit of money – It has become a kind of tradition on our rides to have Narial paani (Coconut water) towards the end of the ride
View Cycling From Bhardwaj Lake to Green Park metro station in a larger map
Pictures from the ride
Taking a break
Camels and dogs for company
Riding back through the Kikar trail
Speeding on the way back
Kikar trails – Asola wildlife sanctuary
Enjoying the ride to Bhardwaj Lake
Uphill section – Riding to Bhardwaj lake
Beginning of the off road section
At the Bhardwaj lake
Entry gate of the Asola wildlife sanctuary
Through the kikar bushes of Asola forest
CITM lake close to Bhardwaj lake
Hiking down the hillock
Gaurav and sunny
Climbing the hillock
Negotiating the twists and turns
Sunny riding on gravel tracks
Great stuff! Have always been meaning to go there…next time you guys plan to do it, holler! Cheers!
Done deal Arjun… Most likely in the next 1-2 weeks we will head back there for a longer ride.
Hey, are you a part of Delhi cyclists? I and a group of friends ride too and this sounds very interesting. Please tell me how many kilometers was it in total from Green Park metro station to the lake and back? Thanks!
Hi Japleen,
We have done a few rides with Delhi cyclists. Great fun and a very enthusiastic group of people.
The ride from Green Park metro station to Bhardwaj lake is about 21 kms one way. The map on this post will tell you how to get there.
Regards,
Saurabh
This looks like a great ride, but isn’t 21 km a bit long for a hike? Specially for kids? Or do you intend to drive up to the beginning of the forest before the hike starts?
The 21kms loop is for the full ride and includes the road part of the ride too. As you correctly said, we’re going to drive to the forest gate and then start the hike. The return distance is a lot lesser, but still be prepared for a long walk 🙂
Regards,
Saurabh
Last time we went swimming in the lake, we had naval guys coming to practise diving
Can someone tell me about the current situation of the lake?
If it is dry ATM, I am planning to go there with my friends this weekend on foot.
Hi, The lake has water throughout the year. It will be a good visit. Best of luck.
Hi all.
I had one helluva struggle trying to locate this place. Like you said, everywhere there is so much gravel. It is impossible to bike through those areas. In addition, I ended up having a lot of bruises due to those thorny bushes. Utlimately all that we could see was the Death Valley. Though there is water, it is so deep down that it is not possible to step into. Our goal was to reach the Bhardwaj lake into which we can step in.
Hey ,
Iam actually planning to visit Bhardwaj lake this weekend , and I have a road cycle(trek domain 4.1) ….and I have heard that there is a lot of off-road trails on the way to the lake . So , is it possible for me to ride in that trail with a road racing cycle?
Fast replies are highly appreciated!☺
Hey Gaurav,
I had replied on email I hope you got it.
How was your ride?
Cheers,
Saurabh
Hello,
First of all thank you for the reply
And second I actually went on the ride but I went as far as I felt it was safe , Cause the surrounding was really quiet and peaceful , all away from the city and all. And fortunately I faced no problems . I totally understood that this trail is not for road cycles
Regards,
Gaurav.
hi…..can we go to bhardwaj lake on foot from inside the main gate of asola bhatti wildlife sanctuary? i saw on the map that it is much nearer from there or opp Arrawali international school is the only way from there?
Hi Ashish,
I’m not sure if the lake is accessible from inside the main gate area. That area might be cordoned off from inside. To get to the lake, I sugest you go towards Kant enclave and then into the forest area. There is a map on this blog post – you can follow the map and get to the lake.
Cheers,
Saurabh